At the late assizes for Clare a man was indicted for stealing a pair of woollen mittens: he pleaded guilty. The learned judge (Perrin) sent for the magistrate by whom the man had been committed for trial, and demanded why a person charged for so trivial an offence had been detained in prison from November last until this time without being brought to trial.

It was stated in explanation that no Crown business had been brought forward at quarter sessions during the interval between those two periods. Judge Perrin observed that this might be a sufficient excuse but declared his determination not to try any case of a similar nature which might have been tried at a previous quarter sessions. He would object, however, to discharge the jail of prisoners charged with trifling offences, provided no session of the peace should have intervened between their committal and the time of the assizes.